Private school teachers launch hunger strike demanding equal rights in Ankara
Police in Ankara dispersed teachers demonstrating for a second consecutive day, using pepper spray and batons to break up gatherings. Three people were detained, including union leaders. This followed yesterday's protests where 41 people were detained and later released. Teachers are protesting deteriorating conditions in Turkey's private schools, including low wages, lack of job security, and exploitation.
Private school teachers launched a hunger strike today in Ankara after police dispersed a second consecutive day of demonstrations, detaining union leaders and protesters.
The incident unfolded when members of teachers' unions and the Interview Victims Platform, a group of teachers who were not appointed to public schools due to low oral interview scores despite their exam results, gathered in Kurtuluş Park in Çankaya to make a public statement.
Police told the group that the statement would not be permitted and began dispersing the crowd. Officers used pepper spray and batons against the teachers and forced them out of the park.
Police dispersing the crown in Kurtuluş Park, video released by the Private Sector Teacher Union shows:
Kurtuluş Parkı’nda abluka altındaki öğretmenleri parça parça şiddet kullanarak gözaltına almaya başladılar.
— Özel Sektör Öğretmenleri Sendikası (@ogretmensendika) June 15, 2026
Tüm kamuoyunu dayanışmaya çağırıyoruz! #ÖğretmenlerGözaltında pic.twitter.com/gWpJFCH0Qd
Private Sector Teachers Union Chair Eren Edebali and Education and Science Workers’ Union (Eğitim Sen) Chair Kemal Irmak were among three individuals detained during the scuffle.
The crackdown followed a police blockade around the Enerji Otel, where some of the traveling teachers were staying. Officers prevented the educators from leaving the building and marching to the park.
The teachers staged a sit-in protest in response, where they criticized the government for failing to resolve their problems despite previous promises.
Hours later, they announced the start of a hunger strike that will continue until their demands are met.
Teacher staging a sit-in outside the hotel:
Kurtuluş parkındaki arkadaşlarımız saldırılarla gözaltına alınıyor.
— Özel Sektör Öğretmenleri Sendikası (@ogretmensendika) June 15, 2026
Evimizde çorba kaynamıyor, her gün açız, buradaki herkes işsiz, ne istiyorsunuz bizden?
Devlet öğretmenlere söz verdi, tutmadı. Aldığımız sözlerin peşindeyiz. Ne yaparsanız yapın kazanmadan gitmeyeceğiz!… pic.twitter.com/krASTstIla
Kadem Özbay, head of the Eğitim-İş teachers union, criticized the police response to the demonstration. "There has never been a period where teachers were devalued so much," he told reporters after the events.
The events followed similar demonstrations yesterday, where teachers protested with their families. A total of 41 people were detained during yesterday's police action and were released later in the evening.
Why teachers protest
Private school teachers in Turkey face deteriorating working conditions and systemic financial insecurity, leaving a significant gap between them and their public sector peers.
A primary driver of the current situation is the 2014 repeal of the base salary right, which guaranteed that private sector educators could not be paid less than public school teachers. Following its removal and proliferation of private schools across the country, issues such as low wages, under-the-table cash payments, and missing social security updates became widespread.
Unlike public sector educators, private school teachers lack job security due to mandatory fixed-term contracts, which often span only nine or 10 months. This system leaves many without income during the summer vacation and forces them to seek seasonal employment.
Summer is 'job-hunting season' rather than vacation for private school teachers
Teachers also report routine exploitation, with weekly schedules exceeding 45 to 50 hours. This includes unpaid weekend work, individual student tutoring, and tasks outside their expertise.
Furthermore, educators report being frequently registered under non-teaching titles like office or cleaning staff to reduce employer severance liabilities, while the threat of contract non-renewal is used to deter labor organizing.
(VK)